Dirigible headlight



Aug. 1, 1933. 1,920,527

J. C. SCHULMAYER DIRIGIBLE HEADLIGHT Filed Sept. 21, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l 14 F /5 h 67 a0 6 fi km 35 l 1 24 ii 7 u, 55

72 mumu Aug. 1, 1933.

J. c. SCHULMAYER DIRIGIBLE HEADLIGHT Filed Sept. 21, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 afiiarzizaf (k176i 5(6a/77za5/er Patented Aug. 1, 1933 UNITED STATES:

EPA'IENT OFFICE 1,920,527 DIRIGIBLE HEADLIGHT Johannes Carel" Schulrnayer, Bloemendaal,

. Netherlands I Application September 21, 1931, Serial No. 563,931, and in Germany January 24, 1931 f 7 Claims. (o1. 240-62 the latter has turned the cornenwhile the swinging movement of the lights may be stopped at a predetermined moment by a mechanism for ren- 1 dering the swinging mechanism for the head lights inoperative, when it is desired, and a mechanism for automatically uncoupling this mechanism from the steering wheel, when the swinging mechanism meets an obstacle.

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a vertical section and elevation of the swinging mechanism to which the lights are ape plied,

Fig. 2 a plan View of the lower part of the operating mechanism with the upper part removed, Fig. 2a a plan view of the upper surface of the tappet disc,

Fig. 3 a plan view of the groove and pin mechanism.

Fig. 4 a vertical section of a second form of embodiment.

Fig. 5 a vertical section of the releasing device. Referring more particularly to the drawings Figs. 1-3, the lower part 1 of a casing is secured, by means-of bolts passed through holes 27, to the upper part 2, in which casing the swinging mechanism for the light is contained. The upper part 2 contains two bearings 32 and 31 for a shaft or'bolt 3 and the bracket 13 for the headlight,

V respectively. Acrank 4 is releasably connected to the driving shaft 3 in theiollowing' manner.

.11 a difierent shapefrom that of the right one,

a different movement and/or degree of rotation The head of the said crank 4 is rotatably and slidably mounted upon the shaft or bolt 3 and maintained upon this shaft by a safety nut 6.

This crankhead is provided with a lip 5 adapted to engage a similarly shaped recess 33 of a sleeve 34 forming an integral part of the actuating 1ever 10..

This sleeve is provided with a recess 35 containing a helical spring 7 bearing with one end upon the bottom of the-recess 35 and with the other end against the head 8 of the shaft or bolt 3. This bolt S is adapted to slide up and down in the recess 35, the crankhead 4 being disengaged from the s1eeve34 when the crank 4 meets a resistance while the spring 7 is compressed and the lip 5 is disengaged from the recess 33.

The actuating lever 10, as shown in plan in Figs. 2.a'nd 3, is provided with a quadrant arm having a slot 11 in which slot a tappet or pin 12 of a particular. elongatedshape is slidable. This tappet or pin 12 is eccentrically mounted upon the lower surface of a disc 9 mounted uponor formed integrally with the bracket 13*for turning directly or indirectly one of the head lights or turning indirectly both of the head lights.

This bracket l3'is maintained'in the bearing 31 by a sleeve 15 and a nut 14 screwed upon a threaded portion-of the bracket 13. The two opposite edges of the slot 111 are parallel and form "a guide or cam, within which the tappet or pin 12 moves.- The shape of thiscam slot 11 is not exactly concentric with the bolt 3, but deviates in accordance with the movement which it is desired to impart to the light. In the middle of the inner cam edge of theslot. -11 arecess 16 is provided opposite to a projection or tooth 1'7 provided in the opposite cam edge of the'slot 11.

The recess 16 is soshaped that its parts are concentric. with'corresponding. parts of the tooth "1'7 and the space between the corresponding parts of. the recess 16 and thetooth 17 is so chosen, that the headlight carried by the bracket 13, already has its angle of lead entirely or partly when the tappet 12 leaves the recess 16, whilst the tappet 12 is so'shapedin accordance with the space between the recess 16 and tooth 17 that the tappet is rigidly guided in any position; also inthe recess 16,

and is forced into this recess in order that oscillation of ;the,- light on its axisbe prevented. In this manner. the tappet 12 is forced to communicate a rotating movement to the bracket'13 when the quadrant arm of the lever 10 is actuated by the steering wheel. Y

Bygiving the left part of the guiding cam slot can be given to the light in the one direction from that in the other direction. The shape of the cam slot ll-determines the angle over which the lights turn simultaneously with the Wheels.

Both parts of the cam slot 11 may have any desired shape in accordance with the movement to be imparted to the lights. Thus a partial angle of lead can begiven to the lights by the shape of the. cams.

The manner in which the recess fades into the cam slot influences the speed of rotation of the lights and also the time for reaching the required angle of lead.

In order to lock the bracket 13 and also the lights in their normal position, the upper surcooperating with the spring actuated locking pin 25 to act as a brake and steady the movement of the lights. In the form of embodiment shown in Figs. 4

and 5 the quadrant lever 18 rotatesin a vertical plane and the part with the slot 11 is of semi-. cylindrical shape, at a right angle to the vertical Here too the slot 11 is provided with apart. tooth and a recess. 7

Instead of the forms of embodiment shownand described above, it is also possible to replace the rotatable quadrant lever by agroovedslide. In

this case the groove is not circular, but nearly straight in accordance with the degree andspeed of rotation to be imparted to the lights.

Fig. 5 shows the. device for disengaging the steering wheel mechanism from thedriving mechanism for the headlights. ihe bolt or shaft 3 extends somewhat above the nut 6 and has a central bore in which a link is inserted. This link 20 has a slot 21, which engages a pin 22 passed through the bolt 3. The link 20 is connected by a Bowden cable 36 to a handle near the seat of the driver. By actuating this handle the link pulls up the shaft 3 against the tension of the spring 7 and disengages the lip 5 from the recess 33, thereby disconnecting the crank 4 and associated mechanism from the quadrant lever 10 and its associated mechanism, so thatwhen the crank 4 is driven, its head rotates about the shaft orbolt 3 without driving. the quadrant lever.

Instead of providing each light with a mechanisrn as described, it is also possible to actuate the two lights of the car simultaneously by: one mechanism, by providing suitable connections'in an obvious manner:

i drivers seat.

Besides the manuallyfoperatedmeans for disengaging the steering wheel mechanism'from the driving mechanism, means are also provided for an automatic disengagement in case of .an obstruction in the headlight mechanism such as may becaused by rust, dust or other foreign substances between the contacting surfaces of relatively movable parts. This automatic means consists in the arrangement of the lip 5 and the recess 33 which are so shaped that when the bolt 3 is prevented from rotation while thearm 4 is rotated,-the lip 5 will move upward out of engagement withthe recess 33*and thus allow the steering gear to "be operated even if the headright mechanism should be prevented from operation for any reason whatever. I

It will, of course, be understood that the man ally I operated disengaging means particularly illustrated in Figure5 is to be operated from the movable member having a cam aperture formed in its free end, said cam aperture having a recess formed. in one of its surfaces and a corresponding projection on its opposite surface, and a pointed-oval shaped tappet adapted to be forcibly moved in predetermined respective positions within said cam aperture, thereby determining theangular positions of a rotatable lamp in respect to its vertical axis, operatively connected with said tappet. i

2. In a device of the character described, a movable member having a. cam aperture formed in its free end, extending thereacross, of differing curvature to the right and left of its center, said cam aperture having a recess formed in one of its surfacesand a corresponding projection on its opposite surface, and a pointed-oval shaped tappet adapted to be forcibly moved in predetermined respective positions within said cam aperture, thereby determining the angular positions of a rotatable lamp in respect to its vertical axis, operatively connected with said tappet.

3. In a device of the character described, a movable member having. a cam aperture formed in its free end, said cam aperture having a recess formed in one of its surfaces and a correspond-- ing'projection on its opposite surface, a pointedoval shaped tappet adapted to be forcibly moved in predetermined respective positions within said cam aperture, thereby determining the angular positions of a rotatable lamp in respect to its vertical axis, operatively connected with said tappet, and meansfor operativelyconnecting said movable member to the steering mechanism of a vehicle.

4. Mechanism for actuating dirigible headlights for vehicles adapted to turn on their vertical axis when the vehicle Wheels are turned by steering mechanism, comprising, in combination,

Sll

a standard adapted to support a rotatablelamp,

an eccentric disc formed on the lower end of said standard, a pointed-oval shaped tappet formed on the bottom surface of said disc, a movable member having a, cam aperture engaging said tappet, and means for operatively connecting said movable member with the steering mechanism of a vehicle in such a manner that the said standard, a pointed-oval shaped tappet formed on the bottom surface of said disc, a mov- .able member having a cam aperture engaging said tappet, means for operatively connecting said movable member with the steering mechanism of a vehicle in such a manner that the turning of the wheels of said vehicle by said steering mechanism cause said movable member toturn the lamp controlled by said standard to rotate on its vertical axis at a greater angular speed than the wheels of the vehicle, and means for readily disconnecting said movable member from'the steering mechanism. I}

6. Mechanism for actuating dirigible headlights for vehicles adapted to turn on their vertical axis when the vehicle wheels are turned by steering mechanism, comprising, in combination, a standard adapted to support a rotatable lamp, an eccentric disc formed on the lower end of said standard, a pointed-oval shaped tappet formed on the bottom surface'of said disc, means in said disc adapted for frictionally holding said standard to prevent its oscillation on its vertical axis, a movable member having a cam aperture engaging said tappet, and means for operatively connecting said movable member with the steering mechanism of a vehicle in such a manner that the turning ofthe wheels of said vehicle by, said steering mechanism cause said .movable' member to turn the lamp controlled by saidto prevent oscillation of said standard in its vastandard to rotate on its vertical-axis at a greater angular speed than the wheels of the vehicle.

'7. Mechanism for actuating dirigible headlights for vehicles adapted to turn on their vertical axis when the vehicle wheels are turned by steering mechanism, comprising, in combination,

a standard adapted to support a rotatable lamp,

rious angular positions, a movable member having a cam aperture engaging said tappet, and

means for operatively connecting said movable member with the steering mechanism of a vehicle in such a manner that the turning of the wheels of said vehicle by said steering mechanism cause said movable member to turn the lamp controlled by said standard to rotate on its vertical axis at a greater angular speed than the wheels of the, vehicle.

JOHANNES CAREL SCHULMAYER. 

